Thirty-two year old Memnia Theodorou is the first Cypriot to ever take part in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and she is about to become the first woman from Cyprus to have sailed from the UK to Australia when the fleet arrives into Albany later this month.
Theodorou was only due to compete in the opening leg of the world`s longest ocean race when the fleet set sail from London to Rio de Janiero, Brazil, in August. However, once she got to Rio she signed up for Race 2, the Stormhoek Race to the Cape of Storms to South Africa in which her team GREAT Britain crossed the finish line in first place.
According to a press release, given the team`s success, Theodorou, who studied dentistry in Greece, decided she couldn`t leave the race there and signed up for the third leg of eight in this global challenge.
“From her research, Memnia says she is the first Cypriot woman to have sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and now onwards across the Southern Ocean to Australia, taking her almost half the way round the world as she covers over 15,000 miles during her three months at sea” it says.
The Clipper Race was established in 1996 by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person to sail solo non-stop around the world in 1968-69.
Twelve teams of amateur sailors race a total of 40,000 miles around the world on board a matched fleet of Clipper 70 foot racing yachts. Around 40 per cent of the crew had never sailed before starting their four weeks of compulsory Clipper Race training and they leave behind their jobs as nurses, teachers, taxi drivers, chief executives and housewives to take on one of the greatest endurance challenges on the planet.
After the first two races, Theodorou`s team GREAT Britain, sponsored by the UK government`s GREAT campaign, is top of the Overall Race Standings. They are expected to arrive into Albany, Western Australia between 22 – 26 November.
CNA/AAR/GCH 2015
ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY